B help surgeons?

B in neutrophils may predict the risk of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome after major surgery.

Written byTudor Toma
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) is a post-operative complication of major surgery and accounts for most of the deaths in surgical intensive care units. MODS develops following severe systemic inflammation mediated by activated neutrophils. NFκB is a transcription factor involved in the signal transduction of many proteins implicated in the pathogenesis of sepsis and thus may have a role in MODS.

In January Annals of Surgery, a team from the Imperial College School of Medicine, London, UK suggests a clinical role for NFκB by showing that high preoperative levels of this factor may predict MODS after major surgery (Ann Surg 2001, 233:70-78).

Sharmila Foulds and colleagues measured the levels of NFκB, in 25 patients undergoing thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair and found a significant difference in preoperative levels between the patients who developed postoperative MODS and those who did not. But there were no differences in the preoperative clinical parameters measured.

...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Share
December digest cover image of a wooden sculpture comprised of multiple wooden neurons that form a seahorse.
December 2025, Issue 1

Wooden Neurons: An Artistic Vision of the Brain

A neurobiologist, who loves the morphology of cells, turns these shapes into works of art made from wood.

View this Issue
Stacks of cell culture dishes, plates, and flasks with pink cell culture medium on a white background.

Driving Innovation with Cell Culture Essentials

Merck
Stacks of cell culture dishes, plates, and flasks with pink cell culture medium on a white background.

Driving Innovation with Cell Culture Essentials

MilliporeSigma purple logo
Human iPSC-derived Models for Brain Disease Research

Human iPSC-derived Models for Neurodegenerative Disease Research

Fujifilm
Abstract wireframe sphere with colorful dots and connecting lines representing the complex cellular and molecular interactions within the tumor microenvironment.

Exploring the Inflammatory Tumor Microenvironment 

Cellecta logo

Products

brandtech logo

BRANDTECH® Scientific Announces Strategic Partnership with Copia Scientific to Strengthen Sales and Service of the BRAND® Liquid Handling Station (LHS) 

Top Innovations 2026 Contest Image

Enter Our 2026 Top Innovations Contest

Biotium Logo

Biotium Expands Tyramide Signal Amplification Portfolio with Brighter and More Stable Dyes for Enhanced Spatial Imaging

Labvantage Logo

LabVantage Solutions Awarded $22.3 Million U.S Customs and Border Protection Contract to Deliver Next-Generation Forensic LIMS